Demonstration of a cryogenic, switchable electron source for low-temperature detector calibration
Abstract
We present the realization of a prototype of a compact, switchable electron source operating at cryogenic temperatures, demonstrated at energies ranging from 100 eV to 300 eV, and conceptually extendable to an arbitrary energy range. The electrons are produced via photoelectric emission, induced by a LED illuminating two 400~nm-thick commercial aluminum layers inside a cryostat, and are subsequently accelerated by a voltage of up to 300~V. Detection is carried out with an array of transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeters designed for X-ray detectors, where we successfully observe signals consistent with electrons produced at the source at rates of ≳1~Hz and with an efficiency of ≳ 10−14 e-/γ. One of the potential applications of this prototype is the development of a calibration method for cryogenic detectors, based on the generation, acceleration, and multiplication of electrons, followed by their conversion into high-energy photons.
Versions
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BibTeX
@misc{bennett2026demonstration,
title = {{Demonstration of a cryogenic, switchable electron source for low-temperature detector calibration}},
author = {D. A. Bennett and M. Borghesi and P. Campana and R. Carobene and A. Cattaneo and M. De Gerone and M. Faverzani and L. Ferrari Barusso and E. Ferri and S. Gamba and A. Giachero and M. Gobbo and D. Labranca and J. Mates and R. Moretti and A. Nucciotti and L. Origo and D. R. Schmidt and D. S. Swetz and J. N. Ullom},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2607.20324},
eprint = {2607.20324},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.20324},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Demonstration of a cryogenic, switchable electron source for low-temperature detector calibration
AU - D. A. Bennett
AU - M. Borghesi
AU - P. Campana
AU - R. Carobene
AU - A. Cattaneo
AU - M. De Gerone
AU - M. Faverzani
AU - L. Ferrari Barusso
AU - E. Ferri
AU - S. Gamba
AU - A. Giachero
AU - M. Gobbo
AU - D. Labranca
AU - J. Mates
AU - R. Moretti
AU - A. Nucciotti
AU - L. Origo
AU - D. R. Schmidt
AU - D. S. Swetz
AU - J. N. Ullom
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2607.20324
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.20324
AB - We present the realization of a prototype of a compact, switchable electron source operating at cryogenic temperatures, demonstrated at energies ranging from 100 eV to 300 eV, and conceptually extendable to an arbitrary energy range. The electrons are produced via photoelectric emission, induced by a LED illuminating two 400~nm-thick commercial aluminum layers inside a cryostat, and are subsequently accelerated by a voltage of up to 300~V. Detection is carried out with an array of transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeters designed for X-ray detectors, where we successfully observe signals consistent with electrons produced at the source at rates of ≳1~Hz and with an efficiency of ≳ 10^−14 e^-/γ. One of the potential applications of this prototype is the development of a calibration method for cryogenic detectors, based on the generation, acceleration, and multiplication of electrons, followed by their conversion into high-energy photons.
ER -